Child of the Wilderness
by sofia313
Summary: "You do know that I could have you executed for this?" Jaime stated. The girl smiled. "Do you really want everyone to know that you lost to a girl?"
1. Chapter 1

**One shot for now**

* * *

Winterfell

Jaime hated participating in any celebration where the king was. Robert always drank too much and started humiliating Cersei every way he could. The worst part was that there was absolutely nothing Jaime could do about that. He could barely even look at Cersei without jeopardizing not only her and his own life, but also the lives of their children. He had to hide his thoughts and feelings, as he had done for the last 16 years. No, longer than that.

He had loved Cersei as long as he could remember, she was his whole world. Yet he could never tell that to anyone. He had no choice but to settle for the brief stolen moments with her. It wasn't fair. Bitterly Jaime glanced at Robert who was already drunk and apparently in a very good mood. He was talking with Eddard and Catelyn Stark, completely ignoring Cersei. Jaime couldn't look at her; he feared that everyone would see what he was thinking.

Tyrion seemed to be more or less drunk as well; he was talking with Robb Stark. All the Starks were here, although Jaime hadn't paid much attention to any of them. He emptied his wine goblet and left the dining hall. What he needed right now was a moment to clear his thoughts. It was already dark outside, torches and lanterns lighted the courtyard of Winterfell.

Jaime looked up at the night sky before heading to the stables; he wanted to make sure that his horse was properly taken care of. The horse, a golden colored stallion called Lionheart, had been a gift from his father. Normally Jaime didn't much care for his father's gifts, but the horse was undeniably magnificent. Jaime had spent a lot of time training Lionheart and he was the only one who the horse really obeyed.

He entered the stable and looked for a stable boy when he noticed his horse and approached his stall. He frowned when he saw someone in the stall with Lionheart. A young woman who was wearing a modest grey dress and a cloak. Her dark hair was braided behind her head in a single plait that reached almost to her waist.

"Hey," Jaime snapped. "What do you think you're doing to my horse, girl?"

She turned to look at him with her large dark brown eyes. Her oval face was quite pretty and her skin was pale. A typical northern girl, almost all of them seemed to be pale. Well, of course they were, there wasn't much sunshine here.

"I was grooming him," she replied calmly and showed Jaime the brush she had in her hand.

"He doesn't like strangers much," Jaime stated.

The girl glanced at Lionheart who seemed perfectly calm and satisfied.

"I haven't had any problems with him."

"Well, I'm sure you know how to do your work."

The girl smiled.

"Let's hope so. What brings you here this late?"

Her casual tone amused Jaime; he doubted that the poor servant girl had any idea who he was.

"I came to see my horse."

"Ah. He really is a beautiful horse."

"Yes, he was a gift from my father, Tywin Lannister."

Jaime expected the girl to start apologizing for speaking to him so freely, but she didn't.

"I see. You have a very generous father."

Jaime frowned; surely even the lowest servant knew who Tywin Lannister was.

"I'm Jaime Lannister, the queen's brother."

The girl nodded.

"I know who you are, Ser."

Her tone was just as calm as before, she didn't seem to be even slightly intimidated by him. For a moment he wasn't sure how to react. She hadn't really been disrespectful, but he certainly wasn't used to servants talking to him like this.

"I'm Lyra," she added.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Jaime replied after getting over his confusion. He did have some manners, even if the girl was a servant. "Are you a stable girl?"

"I do many things here," she replied smiling.

"I see. Do you like it here?"

She nodded.

"I have no reason to complain."

"That's an admirable way to think," Jaime huffed.

"Hmm. I take it that you don't think like that."

He frowned.

"You speak very freely."

"Have I somehow offended you?" she asked, clearly amused.

"I'm not easily offended, but I suggest you watch your tongue with the other members of my family."

"I'll do that, thank you for the advice."

"Good." Jaime paused and looked around. "Are we alone here?"

"So it seems," the girl replied.

"Is it safe for you to be alone here this late?"

She smiled.

"Should I be afraid of you, Ser?"

"No, not me, but all the men are not like me."

"I appreciate your concern, but I can take care of myself."

"Really?" Jaime huffed and crossed his arms. "What would you do, if someone would attack you?"

"Well…" she started and stepped out of the stall. "Allow me to show you, Ser. Attack me."

Jaime's eyes widened.

"What?"

"I think you heard me," she replied smiling.

"I'm not going to attack a woman," Jaime snorted.

"Why not?" the girl hummed. "Are you afraid that you would lose?"

Jaime's eyebrows furrowed.

"You do know I'm a knight? A member of the Kingsguard?"

"Then surely you have nothing to be afraid of?" she stated innocently.

Jaime's eyes narrowed.

"Alright then, if you insist."

There was something about her boldness that amused him; she was feistier than any servant he had met before.

"I'll try my best not to hurt you, little one," he hummed smiling as he approached her. She was almost a head shorter than him, so this wasn't in any way a fair fight.

"I appreciate that, Ser," she replied, standing her ground.

The whole situation was so ridiculous that he wanted to chuckle. What was he doing? He tried to grab her, but she was faster, she managed to move aside. She arched her back like a cat as he tried again.

"Aren't you a quick little kitty," he chuckled.

He tried few times, but he couldn't get a hold of her. She really was fast. As amusing as this was, the whole thing was starting to become embarrassing. Couldn't he honestly catch a servant girl? His eyes narrowed before he tricked her with a fake attack. She fell for it and he jumped on her like a stalking lion. They both lost their balance and he fell on top of her. No more than a second later, he felt something cold and sharp on his throat.

"Are you threatening me with a knife?" he asked disbelievingly.

"No, I am showing you that I can take care of myself," she replied, still panting a little.

He frowned.

"You do know that I could have you executed for this?"

She smiled.

"Do you really want everyone to know that you lost to a girl?"

"I would hardly say that I lost."

"Really? What would you say then?"

She gasped when he suddenly yanked the knife from her.

"I would say that it's not wise to celebrate too soon," he hummed smirking.

"Hmm, that's a good advice," she replied.

It was his turn to gasp when he felt something sharp between his legs. He stared at her for a moment before bursting into laughter.

"Alright, I admit it," he chuckled. "It seems that you can take care of yourself."

"Thank you, Ser," she replied smiling.

He stood up and held out his hand for her. She let him help her to her feet.

"I must say that servants here are very different than in the south…" Jaime started.

"Lyra?" a male voice interrupted him.

Jaime turned around and saw Jon Snow, Lord Stark's bastard son. He was looking at Jaime suspiciously.

"Is everything alright?" he asked.

"Yes, Jon, everything is fine," the girl replied. "Ser Jaime, have you met Jon Snow, my cousin?"

For a brief moment Jaime was speechless.

"Your…cousin? So you are Lord Eddard's...?"

"His niece," she finished. "My father is Benjen Stark."

Oh great, and Jaime had just wrestled with her.

"Is there a reason why you didn't mention this before, my lady?" he asked as calmly as he could.

"You didn't ask, Ser," she replied innocently and curtsied at him.

"Why are you here in this hour grooming horses?"

"I like horses."

Jaime had no idea what else to say, the girl seemed nothing but amused.

"Jon, could you escort me inside?" she asked. "Ser Jaime was just telling me that it's not safe for me to be here all alone."

"Of course," the boy replied. The look that he gave to Jaime was hardly friendly.

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Ser Jaime," the girl said smiling sweetly. "Good night."

"Good night," Jaime murmured.

Great… Just perfect. Hopefully the girl wouldn't say anything to her uncle. Something told Jaime that she wouldn't. He should have known right away that she was a Stark. He huffed and rolled his eyes. Yet he couldn't help but to smile, he couldn't deny that she had amused him. For a very brief moment he had actually forgotten all his worries.


	2. Chapter 2

**I decided to write a little backstory for Lyra. Would you like to read more?**

* * *

 **Part 2**

 _Ned gave his wife a tender kiss before hurrying to his study after a servant told him the news. Catelyn was just rocking their newborn daughter Arya to sleep while little Sansa also demanded her attention. Ned loved all his children dearly, whether they were boys or girls. Of course he was happy that he already had an heir and he was more than proud of his son. He opened the door to his study and saw a man standing in front of the fireplace with his back turned._

 _"Ben?"_

 _The man turned to face him. It had been years since Ned had last seen his brother and he barely recognized little Benjen now. Ben's black hair was long and tangled and he had a messy beard. He looked everything but a nobleman._

 _"Hello, Ned."_

 _Ned looked at his little brother for a while before walking over to him._

 _"It's good to see you, brother," Ned said and hugged Ben. "It has been too long."_

 _Ben didn't reply to that, Ned could see how tense he was._

 _"I can't stay," he murmured._

 _"What? You just got here…"_

 _"Yes and there is something I need to ask you, brother."_

 _Ned frowned._

 _"Are you in some kind of trouble?"_

 _When Ben had told him that he wanted to join the isolated garrison near the Wall, Ned had been sure that his brother would return home soon. Surely it had only been his way to cope with the loss of their father, brother and sister. Much to Ned's surprise, Ben hadn't retuned. He had sent brief letters for every now and then, letting Ned know that everything was alright._

 _"No," Ben replied smiling. "I'm not in trouble, big brother, but I must ask a favor from you."_

 _"What kind of favor?"_

 _Ben cocked his head towards the wall and finally Ned noticed that there was someone else in the room. A child, who seemed to be a boy. He hadn't made a sound, he simply observed Ned with his brown eyes._

 _"And who might this be?" Ned asked._

 _"Her name is Lyra," Ben replied. "She's my daughter."_

 _Ned's eyes widened as he stared at the child. She was wearing boy's clothes and her hair was short._

 _"Your…daughter?"_

 _"Yes."_

 _Ned wasn't sure what to say._

 _"Why haven't you told me about her?"_

 _"It was…complicated," Ben replied tensely. "Her mother…"_

 _Ned understood what Ben was trying to say. The girl was a bastard._

 _"She's dead now," Ben added. "I kept the girl with me, but I can't do that anymore."_

 _"Why not?" Ned asked._

 _Ben looked at him calmly._

 _"Because I will join the Night Watch."_

 _"What?"_

 _"I have made my decision; it's the right path for me." Ben paused and glanced at the girl. "As I said, I can't take her with me, so I'm asking you to take her, brother."_

 _"Of course," Ned managed to say after a brief silence. "She's your daughter; of course she's welcome here."_

 _Ben nodded gratefully._

 _"Thank you, Ned. There's also something else I would like to ask."_

 _"What's that?"_

 _"I want to legitimize her. Can you write to the king and make it happen?"_

 _"Sure."_

 _"Thank you."_

 _Ned looked at the girl who still hadn't made a sound. She looked vigilant, especially when Ned approached her and got down on one knee in front of her._

 _"Hello," he greeted the girl. "I'm your uncle Eddard."_

 _The girl glanced at her father._

 _"Go ahead, introduce yourself," Ben said._

 _"Lyra," she said clearly._

 _Ned smiled._

 _"It's a pleasure to meet you, Lyra. Welcome to your new home."_

* * *

 _"Look at that," Theon said. "What is that?"_

 _"She's Uncle Benjen's daughter," Robb replied. "Father told us to be nice to her."_

 _"Is she really a girl? She looks like a boy."_

 _"Do you envy her for that?" Jon asked._

 _"Shut up, Snow."_

 _The three boys kept staring at the strangest looking girl they had ever seen. She was wearing a dress, but her hair was short and she was playing with a stick, using it like it would a sword. She lowered the stick as the boys approached her._

 _"Hey there, runt," Theon greeted her._

 _"We were supposed to be nice," Robb scolded._

 _"What, she is a runt."_

 _"I'm Robb, your cousin," Robb continued, ignoring Theon's reply. "This is Theon, my father's ward and Jon, also your cousin."_

 _She observed the boys for a moment before saying her name._

 _"Lyra."_

 _"What are you doing with that stick?" Jon asked._

 _"I'm practicing," she replied._

 _"Practicing for what?" Theon asked._

 _"Fighting."_

 _"Girls don't fight," Theon argued. "You sew and pick flowers."_

 _"Why?" Lyra asked._

 _"Because that's the way things are."_

 _She thought about it for a moment and shook her head._

 _"No."_

 _"No what?" Theon huffed._

 _She didn't reply, she simply continued playing with the stick._

 _"You're weird, runt," Theon commented. "Do you really think that you would have a chance against us?"_

 _"Yes," she replied._

 _Theon grinned and looked at Robb and Jon._

 _"Did you hear that? She said that she could beat us."_

 _"I'm sure she didn't mean that…" Robb started._

 _"I did," Lyra cut in._

 _"Are you going to let her talk to you like that?" Theon asked._

 _"I can't fight with a girl," Robb protested._

 _"I can," Theon said and attacked Lyra. She dodged his attack and hit his stomach with the stick, making him gasp for air._

 _"Hey, that wasn't nice," Robb said and attacked her. At first he was going to go easy on her, since she was a girl and everything, but then she hit him with the stick as well. He let out a growl and stopped trying to be careful. Jon joined him and together they managed to trap her on the ground. Even then she didn't give up; she was biting, scratching and kicking like a wild animal._

 _"You bit me!" Robb cried out._

 _She smiled and bit him again. All four of them wrestled on the ground until they heard Ned's angry voice._

 _"Boys! What do you think you are doing?"_

 _All three boys got up as quickly as they could. Lyra stood up as well._

 _"What's the matter with you?" Ned demanded. "What made you pick on a little girl?"_

 _None of the boys had time to reply when Lyra spoke up._

 _"We were playing, Uncle Eddard. They didn't do anything bad."_

 _"Well… That was hardly an appropriate way to play with a girl."_

 _"It was fun," Lyra replied._

 _"They could have hurt you," Ned said firmly and crossed his arms before looking at the boys. "No more games like that."_

 _"No, father," Robb muttered. "I'm sorry."_

 _"Me too," Jon and Theon added._

 _Ned nodded._

 _"Good. Play nice with Lyra."_

 _"Yes, father."_

 _All the boys looked at Lyra after Ned had left._

 _"Thank you for not tattling," Robb said._

 _"There was nothing to tattle about," she replied. "You three fight like girls."_

 _"Oh yeah?" Theon snapped. "I'll show you…"_

 _"Enough, Theon," Robb said._

 _"So," she said after a moment of silence. "Can I play with you?"_

 _"Sure," Jon replied. "As long as you don't bite."_

 _She smiled._

 _"We'll see."_


	3. Chapter 3

**Part 3**

 _It was still early when Jon headed to the woods, looking to spend some time alone in the small pond near the heart tree. The water was warm there and he could enjoy a moment of peace and quiet. It was the place where he could gather his thoughts and relax. Right now he had many things on his mind and he couldn't talk about those things to anyone. Usually he could talk to Robb or Lyra, but not this time._

 _Lyra was the problem and Jon was afraid what Robb would say if he would know. He would probably say that there was something wrong with Jon. Lyra was their cousin and they had grown up with her. Jon should see her as his sister, not as a girl. Yet he didn't. He wasn't completely sure when he had started to see her as a girl. She had always been just like one of the boys, wrestling and playing with him, Robb and Theon._

 _In fact, it had been Theon who had been the first to notice her budding breasts and teased her until she had kicked him between the legs. That had been two summers ago when she had been 12. Now she was 14 and her breasts were much bigger. Jon was 16 and he had never even kissed a girl. Theon had, he kept bragging about his conquests. Jon knew that Robb had also been in the brothel with Theon, but unlike Greyjoy, Robb didn't tell that to everyone who bothered to listen._

 _Of course Jon was also more than curious about girls, but he didn't want to be with just any girl. Sure he enjoyed looking at pretty girls and his body reacted to them sometimes, but he didn't want a girl who he didn't care about. He cared about Lyra. She was his dearest friend, the only person who knew almost all his secrets. She understood him. All of that made his feelings for her even more wrong. He was a terrible person. He sighed as he pulled his shirt over his head. Slowly he waded in to where the water was up to his thighs. It felt nice; he closed his eyes, allowing his body to relax when he suddenly heard Lyra's voice._

 _"Jon?"_

 _A surprised gasp escaped his throat as he turned around to face her._

 _"Lyra," he murmured, trying to hide his embarrassment. "What…what are you doing here?"_

 _She looked at him somewhat strangely and he realized that she could see all of him. Quickly he took a few steps back, submerging into the pond until water reached his waist. His face was probably red, he was more than embarrassed._

 _"I'm sorry," she said after a moment of silence. "I didn't mean to scare you."_

 _"You didn't scare me," he argued defensively. He was almost a grown man already; of course she hadn't scared him._

 _"What are you doing here?" he repeated._

 _"I saw you coming here, so I thought I could join you," she replied. "You could have told me that you're coming here, you know I love to swim."_

 _"I don't think that's a very good idea," he murmured._

 _She crossed her arms, looking hurt._

 _"Why not? Don't you want to spend time with me anymore?"_

 _"Of course I do, but not now."_

 _"Why not? We used to swim together all the time."_

 _"Yes, but…"_

 _He really didn't know how to continue. Shouldn't she understand why it wasn't appropriate for them to see each other naked anymore? Perhaps not. Perhaps she was still much more innocent than him. And she probably saw him as her brother, not as a boy. That made him feel even worse._

 _"You've been avoiding me," she said, sounding even more hurt. "Just like Robb and Theon. They don't tell me things anymore or spend time with me. I thought that we are friends."_

 _"We are," Jon assured quickly. "I'll always be your friend, Lyra, you can count on that."_

 _She smiled._

 _"Good. I've missed spending time with you."_

 _"Well, how about we go riding today?" he suggested._

 _She nodded._

 _"Sounds good, but now I want to go swimming with you."_

 _He didn't have time to say anything when she was already lifting her gown, revealing her undergarment. No, no, no, he needed to tell her to stop. Yet he didn't, not before it was too late. Seeing her breasts made him feel that he was about to faint, he couldn't tear his eyes from them._

 _"Don't," he finally managed to say. "This…this is improper."_

 _She looked at him and frowned._

 _"What are you talking about?"_

 _"You're a lady, you shouldn't be naked."_

 _"Stop being foolish," she snorted. "You sound like Septa Mordane. First of all, you know I don't care about being a lady and second of all, do you really think that ladies swim fully clothed?"_

 _"But it's not safe…"_

 _"I can take care of myself," she huffed and grinned. "Besides, I have you protecting me, don't I?"_

 _He swallowed, unable to say anything. What could he possibly say? That he was in love with her? That she was the only girl he had ever wanted? No, he couldn't say that. Instead he forced himself to look away as she took her clothes off and jumped into the water, letting out a joyful giggle._

 _"Come on, Jon!" she cheered. "I bet I can still swim faster than you."_

 _"I'm sure you can," he murmured. "We really should get back before someone wonders where we are."_

 _"I think most people are still asleep," she argued. "No one is going to miss us for a while."_

 _Jon watched her as she swayed her arms in circles, enjoying herself in the water. His heart ached, knowing that he could only watch, he would never be able to touch her. She would never be his._

* * *

"Did he try something improper?" Jon asked tensely as he and Lyra headed inside.

She glanced at him and smiled.

"No, he didn't. And even if he would have, you know I can take care of myself."

Jon pressed his lips together; he didn't want to say what he was thinking. He wanted to wipe the arrogant smile off Jaime Lannister's face. Did Lyra find him handsome? Had something happened before Jon had arrived? No, he needed to stop this. Otherwise his jealousy would drive him mad. Lyra didn't belong to him; he had no right to be jealous. Perhaps not, but he did have the right to protect her from men like Jaime Lannister. He had the right to keep her safe.

"Nothing happened, Jon," she said and kissed his cheek. "But thank you for looking after me."

"I'll always look after you," he murmured. "You can count on that."


End file.
